On behalf of President Obama and the people of the United States, I congratulate the people of El Salvador as you celebrate the 189th anniversary of your independence this September 15.

As Salvadorans around the world enjoy patriotic festivities and honor the heroes of your struggle for independence, we join in celebrating your rich culture and our shared traditions. I was honored to be present for the inauguration of President Funes last year and reinforce our common commitment to building strong democratic institutions, promoting the rule of law, and expanding economic growth and opportunity to more people. We have also made great strides working together to combat terrorism, crime, and drug trafficking. These ties of friendship extend beyond our governments with our strong business and deep people-to-people connections. We are committed to working closely with El Salvador to further strengthen the close relationship between our nations.

I wish all Salvadorans a happy independence day -- ¡Felicitaciones! I look forward to continuing our work together building a future of lasting security and prosperity for all our people.